I am totally confused and I think I was just a victim of "aero visa confusion." My boarding passes went from "Now you see it, now you don't, now you see it again .........
I am a Canadian / Australian citizen with two passports. This morning I checked in at YVR for my flight to LAX with connection to SYD. My plan was to use my Canadian Passport to enter the USA and of course my Australian Passport to enter Australia. That way no USA ESTA is required. I have always entered and left the USA on my Canadian as is my privilege.
However, this morning the American Airlines check in agent at Vancouver said there was a "memo" that stated that passengers flying through the USA to a third country (Australia) must use the Passport intended for the third country to transit the USA. I had never heard of this one. My Australian Passport does not have an ESTA attached to it. After much "conversation" she goes ahead and issues me the two boarding passes. No worries I thought - time for coffee.
10 minutes later the agent tracks me down in the terminal and informs that I must use my Australian Passport to enter the USA and Australia. She asks for my boarding passes and rips them in half in front of me. She says I must get an ESTA and walks away.
So - I applied for an USA ESTA online but it is not issued as it is under review and this could take 3 days. Who knows why? I don't know. All I know is that I just got screwed.
I went back to the agent and pointed out the FACT that I have never encounted this before and I am screwed in not so few words. However, I said I could get an Australian ETA attached to my Canadian Passport and maybe that would satisfy the Americans for the "1 Passport rule" she was implying existed. She looks it up and says dual citizens must enter Australia on Australian Passport. I said - "I have no problem with that." She calls her colleague and then issues me my boarding passes again exactly as before.
I pre clear US Immigration in YVR and mentioned the "issue" to him. He says just use the same passport to leave as the one I entered with. I hand him my Canadian and I am good to go.
Upon reflection, this was one of those situations where travel plans could've went pear shaped. It is hard to tell an airline check in agent that they are WRONG but what other alternative did I have?
BUT - maybe she was right.
Has anybody else heard of this requirememt while transiting the USA?
I am a Canadian / Australian citizen with two passports. This morning I checked in at YVR for my flight to LAX with connection to SYD. My plan was to use my Canadian Passport to enter the USA and of course my Australian Passport to enter Australia. That way no USA ESTA is required. I have always entered and left the USA on my Canadian as is my privilege.
However, this morning the American Airlines check in agent at Vancouver said there was a "memo" that stated that passengers flying through the USA to a third country (Australia) must use the Passport intended for the third country to transit the USA. I had never heard of this one. My Australian Passport does not have an ESTA attached to it. After much "conversation" she goes ahead and issues me the two boarding passes. No worries I thought - time for coffee.
10 minutes later the agent tracks me down in the terminal and informs that I must use my Australian Passport to enter the USA and Australia. She asks for my boarding passes and rips them in half in front of me. She says I must get an ESTA and walks away.
So - I applied for an USA ESTA online but it is not issued as it is under review and this could take 3 days. Who knows why? I don't know. All I know is that I just got screwed.
I went back to the agent and pointed out the FACT that I have never encounted this before and I am screwed in not so few words. However, I said I could get an Australian ETA attached to my Canadian Passport and maybe that would satisfy the Americans for the "1 Passport rule" she was implying existed. She looks it up and says dual citizens must enter Australia on Australian Passport. I said - "I have no problem with that." She calls her colleague and then issues me my boarding passes again exactly as before.
I pre clear US Immigration in YVR and mentioned the "issue" to him. He says just use the same passport to leave as the one I entered with. I hand him my Canadian and I am good to go.
Upon reflection, this was one of those situations where travel plans could've went pear shaped. It is hard to tell an airline check in agent that they are WRONG but what other alternative did I have?
BUT - maybe she was right.
Has anybody else heard of this requirememt while transiting the USA?
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